Croatia

Croatia is a Central European country of approximately 4 million people on the Adriatic coast, a member of the EU and NATO since 2013 and 2009 respectively. The country declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and Luka Modrić — Born during the Croatian War of Independence — has become its most globally recognised figure. Croatia's national football team, nicknamed the Vatreni (the Blazers), punch consistently above their weight for a nation of their size. Their red-and-white chequered kits are among the most recognisable in international football.

Croatia was issued a reasoned opinion by the European Commission on 29 April 2026, alongside Poland and Portugal, for failing to transpose Directive 2024/1711 by the January 2025 deadline — placing the country one procedural step from Court of Justice referral, fifteen months past the consumer-price protection deadline.

Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, losing to France 4-2, and finished third in Qatar 2022 — a remarkable run of consistency for a country with a smaller population than many World Cup opponents. The 2026 squad is built around Luka Modrić, now 40, in what is widely expected to be his farewell tournament. Croatia open against England on 17 June 2026 in Arlington, Texas, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final that Croatia won. The English squad includes the core of the team that lost that night, making the fixture one of the group stage's most anticipated ties. Croatia's continued ability to compete at the top level — despite the ageing of their 2018 golden generation — is a testament to an unusually deep domestic football culture for a small nation.